LSE IDEAS – Strategic Updates, SU14.1., June 2014London School of Economics and Political Science

Theodoros Tsakiris *

Energy cooperation that would alleviate EU gas dependence on Russian imports and (prospectively) Turkish transit could constitute such a core interest not only for Israel, Cyprus and Greece but for several leading EU member states with important interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Italy and more importantly France and Britain. Energy cooperation, illustrated by the liquefaction of Israeli gas in Cyprus and the more long-term construction of gas and electricity lines to Greece, can constitute this missing lynchpin and turn a contingent alignment into a more enduring alliance. The current relationship continues to offer Greece a high margin of diplomatic flexibility, enabling it to continue the balancing act that promoted an expansion of bilateral cooperation with Israel while making sure that this cooperation would not translate into diplomatic damage to Greece’s ties to Arab states.

* Dr Theodoros Tsakiris is an Associate of LSE IDEAS and Assistant Professor for the Geopolitics of Hydrocarbons at the University of Nicosia.